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MORTISED HINGES Carefully position a hinge so that the barrel’s axis is centered over the spacer, then drill a pilot hole and screw down one leaf with a single screw. E Double-check that the hinge is still square to the box, and secure the other leaf. Secure the other hinge using the same procedure, then finish drilling the remaining pilot holes (E). Use a striking knife or crafts knife to score the wood fibers along each hinge’s outline (F). Start with light pressure for the first cut, then slice deeper in a series of passes. Lettering the hinges and the lid lets you quickly replace each hinge in its home (G). Remove the hinges and unclamp the parts. F There are two different ways to mortise the hinges—you can cut a full-depth mortise in the box’s base, or cut half-depth mortises in both the base and lid, as I did. When you set the router’s depth of cut, you’ll also want to create a slight clearance gap along the back edge of the lid. Clamp a scrap board to the box’s outer edge to prevent tearout and to increase the bearing surface for the router’s baseplate. Rout the mortises in the base and lid (H). I used a 1 ⁄8 -in. bit in a lami- nate trimmer, a combination that provides adequate power with excellent control. How close you dare to rout to the layout lines depends on your courage, experience, and whether you drink espresso or decaf. G To complete the mortises, begin with a vertical chisel cut at each end (I). Next, put the chisel’s bevel against the routed bottom of the mortise to ➤ See “Preventing Bound Hinges”and “Setting the Mortise Depth”on p. 22. H 36 Hinges